The Town Bar and Grill on Kildare Street received a closure order on February 7 because of food safety concerns, although this was lifted the next day when the problems were rectified.

The restaurant was a frequent haunt of celebrities over the past decade, including Bono, Bruce Springsteen and Gerry Ryan. It had a change of ownership three years ago after getting into financial difficulty.

Management at the restaurant declined to comment on the closure order.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) published details of 14 food businesses which received enforcement orders last month. Ten received closure orders and four received prohibition orders.

Closure orders are issued when there is deemed likely to be a "grave and immediate danger to public health at or in the premises" or when the business has failed to comply with an improvement notice in time.

The number of food businesses being served with closure orders has risen steeply over the last few years.

Commenting on the high rate of closure orders, FSAI chief executive Prof Alan Reilly said that it was not acceptable for any food business to put their customers' health at risk.

"Each closure order undermines consumer confidence in food safety, which not only affects the food business involved, but the industry as a whole," he said.

All these were allowed reopen within days, as were Rico's restaurant on Richmond Street, Dublin 2 and Bu Ali Tandoori, Clanbrassil Street Lower, Dublin 2. Daybreak grocery store in The Square, Ferns, Co Wexford, received a closure order applying to its delicatessen area on February 6 which was lifted the next day, while The Village Inn pub, Church Street, Finglas, Dublin 1, received a closure order on February 4, applying to its first-floor kitchen and ground-floor ice machine that was lifted within days.

Limerick Foodstore, 17 Davis Street, Limerick, received a closure order applying to its first floor on February 25.

Prohibition orders banning the sale of certain products because of a potential risk to human health were also issued to four food businesses.

Real Brazil meat business at Sliabh Carrow, Ennis Road, Gort, Co Galway received a prohibition order banning the sale of products in its chill and freezer at the rear of the premises on February 7. The order was lifted on February 24.

The Real Brazil unit at The Grove, Crowe Street, Gort, had a prohibition order issued applying to specific consignments of meat on February 7, although this was lifted within a month.

Fitzgerald's Butchers, Main Street, Ballylanders, Limerick, had a prohibition order applied to Fitzgerald's homemade sausages on February 5 but this was lifted earlier this week.

Star Asia Grocery store on Dublin's Moore Street had a prohibition order imposed on large quantities of its rice and flour on February 5.